In many assembly operations, two or more elements are secured to each other by way of a fastener, such as a nut or the like, threaded a on stud or bolt extending through the elements. Prior to threading the nut onto the stud, one or more fasteners, such as a flat washer, a split-ring washer or a star washer, or combination of such washers, are often placed onto the stud, in part, to retain the nut on the stud. In the past, placement of the washers onto the stud and threading the nut to the stud to secure the washers has been a multi-step operation. Typically, each washer must be placed individually on the stud, usually by hand, before attaching the nut. If the washers are small, then a tweezers or other type of gripper must be employed.
Once the washers have been individually placed on the stud, then the nut is attached. Attachment of the nut to the stud is typically accomplished by first threading the nut to the stud by hand and then using a tool, such as a socket, nut driver or wrench, to thread the nut fully onto the stud with the appropriate torque. Alternatively, with a tool such as a nut driver or socket, the nut can be placed in the tool and attached to the stud by the tool without first manually threading the nut onto the stud.
While the steps of manually placing each washer on the stud and thereafter attaching the nut may seem relatively insignificant for a single assembly operation, on a repetitive basis, the time spent performing these operations can be significant. Moreover, in many instances, the physical size and location of the stud can make it very difficult to manually place each washer on the stud prior to attachment of the nut.
Therefore, there is a need for a technique for engaging one or more washers and a nut in a single operation and then collectively placing them on the stud.